Jeffrey Smart

Ermes De Zan was Smart’s partner and they lived together in Tuscany, Italy, from 1975 until Smart’s death in 2013. Although Ermes acted as a model for some of Smart’s figure studies, The two-up game (Portrait of Ermes) is the only time Smart formally painted his portrait.

Notice the different elements in this painting from back to front: the setting, the freight containers, the group of people and their arrangement and the man in front of them.

List three ways Smart has created a sense of depth using perspective.

Can you imagine why Smart, who was born in Australia but lived most of his life in Italy, would have included this game in his painting?

Is this painting a story, a portrait, a landscape? How would you categorise it?

Smart did not encourage analysis of his paintings. Still, how do you think the freight containers convey meaning, if any?

Create a portrait of yourself, a friend or family member. Include an atmospheric background with objects layered in the foreground, middle ground and background. Use whatever medium you prefer – paint, coloured pastels or pencils – or layer images using Photoshop or an equivalent digital application.